Are GCC countries looking for a regional security pact with Iran?

What the report says

Gulf states are intensifying diplomacy with Iran as leaders in the region try to prevent further escalation amid fears of renewed US strikes on Tehran and rising cross-border tensions involving Houthi forces in Yemen. According to Al Jazeera, the recent contacts included Saudi Arabia’s defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, meeting senior Iranian officials in Tehran, alongside related engagement by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Qatari diplomats. The discussions come after attacks attributed to Iran-aligned Houthis on Saudi airports, ports and energy infrastructure, underscoring the security risks driving the outreach.

The reporting says Oman has also floated a broader regional security idea, including a non-aggression pact between Gulf countries and Iran, with less reliance on the United States as the primary security guarantor. But observers quoted by Al Jazeera argued that the talks have not yet produced a durable framework. A Reuters report cited in the article said Qatar had presented Iran with a draft proposal, while Iranian officials reportedly rejected some ideas and maintained a hard line on the nuclear issue.

Analysts said the main obstacles are mistrust and a basic mismatch over what any settlement would require. One view in the article is that regional mediation may help narrow gaps, but it does not mean Tehran and Washington are ready to make the compromises needed. More broadly, the piece suggests that Gulf states may be seeking de-escalation and hedging their security ties, rather than abandoning their existing US-backed arrangements.